1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to grinders and more particularly to a condiment grinder for grinding of condiments such as salt, pepper, paprika and so forth with the grinder to be usable within the kitchen and on a dining table.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dispensers for condiments, such as salt and pepper, are in exceedingly common usage. Most frequently, these dispensers require that the condiment be pulverized before it be placed within the dispenser. This pulverizing of the condiment prior to usage causes the condiment to lose some of its flavor because of the normal length of time that occurs from the pulverization until usage of the condiment. A substantially increased amount of flavor can be obtained from the condiment if it is pulverized precisely just prior to consuming of the food to which the condiment has been applied.
In the past, there have been designed condiment grinders, such as a pepper grinder and a salt grinder, that are capable of being used to pulverize the condiment just prior to consuming of the food. It is normal that each condiment grinder is located on the dining table so that the condiment grinder is available for usage to each of the diners when desired. It would be desirable to instead of having two separate condiment grinders if somehow the two grinders could be constructed into one unit thereby eliminating the need of having two separate devices and where one device could be utilized to dispense two separate condiments, such as salt and pepper.
In one embodiment of this invention there is disclosed a condiment grinder apparatus in the form of an elongated cylindrical housing which has an upper end and a lower end. A first condiment grinder is rotatably mounted at the lower end of the housing. A first condiment storage chamber, which is located between the upper end and lower end, connects to the first condiment grinder. A second condiment grinder is also mounted in the cylindrical housing and is located at the lower end and there is also a second condiment storage chamber located between the upper end and the lower end which is adapted to feed condiment to the second condiment grinder. During operation of the first condiment grinder, the second condiment grinder is not operable and vice versa.
In another embodiment of this invention, there is disclosed a condiment grinder wherein the axes of rotation of both the first condiment grinder and the second condiment grinder are coinciding.
In a further embodiment of this invention, the first condiment storage chamber is located alongside the second condiment storage chamber.
In another embodiment of this invention, the first condiment storage chamber is defined as being identical in size to the second condiment storage chamber.
In another embodiment of this invention, the cylindrical housing of the condiment grinder apparatus includes a manually rotatable activator located at the upper end. Rotation of this activator causes operation of both the first condiment grinder and the second condiment grinder.
In a further embodiment of this invention, the activator, when rotated in one direction, causes operation of the first condiment grinder and rotation in an opposite direction causes operation of the second condiment grinder.
In yet a further embodiment of this invention, the first condiment grinder is directly attached to a shaft as is also the activator and rotation of the activator in the one direction causes rotation of the shaft and rotation of the first condiment grinder.
In a still further embodiment of this invention, the shaft is defined as having an upper ratchet gear mounted thereon with this upper ratchet gear to connect to a middle ratchet gear. Rotation of the activator in the opposite direction causes the upper ratchet gear to engage with the middle ratchet gear and cause rotation of the second condiment grinder.
In a still further embodiment of this invention, there is a lower ratchet gear which is attached to the cylindrical housing. The middle ratchet gear is to engage with the lower ratchet gear during rotation of the activator in the one direction which fixes the second grinder to the cylindrical housing.
In yet another embodiment of this invention, there is defined a condiment grinder apparatus wherein the second condiment grinder is concentrically located about the first condiment grinder.
In a still further embodiment of this invention, there is defined the activator being separable from the cylindrical housing in order to gain access into the first condiment storage chamber and second condiment storage chamber for the purpose of supplying condiments into these chambers.
In yet a still further embodiment of this invention, there is incorporated a spring in conjunction with the ratchet gears with this spring functioning to exert a continuous bias tending to connect together these ratchet gears.
In yet a still further embodiment of this invention, there is defined a condiment grinder apparatus which includes a plug mounted in conjunction with the activator. The plug is defined as being attached to the shaft. When the plug is disconnected from the shaft, the activator is defined as being separable from the cylindrical housing.
In yet a still further embodiment of this invention, the plug is to be movable between a retracted position and an extended position. With the plug in the retracted position, the plug is locatable substantially flush with the upper end of the cylindrical housing and does not provide access to the plug to operate the plug to disconnect the plug from the shaft. With the plug in the extended position, the plug can be manually operated to disconnect such from the shaft and permit disengagement of the activator from the cylindrical housing.
A primary objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder which can be operated to dispense two different condiments.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder where the two different condiments are dispensable from one end of the condiment grinder.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder apparatus where the condiment storage compartments are locate side-by-side in where the outer wall of the storage compartments constructed of a transparent plastic material so that the amount of condiment contained within each storage chamber can be readily observed thereby making known to the user when it is time to refill any one of the storage chambers with condiment.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a condiment grinder apparatus which is operable to dispense both condiments by using a single activator.